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There are some lower priced models if you don't need an i7. Core i5 at $999. http://www.dell.com/us/busines...

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop...

Dell's dock is pretty nice too, that is what I use with my Asus laptop to deliver 2 displays (mini DP and HDMI, but VGA is also available). This dock should even be able to charge the new Macs through their USB-C charging port.
$140 at Walmart according to Google, but I couldn't bring up the link so didn't post that one.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...

And that's what I found IN STOCK in a five-minute search.

Oh, and the Dell TB-16 looks pretty interesting; but I don't know if it is really out yet.

By the way, if you can break-out a SINGLE USB-C Port into 3 USB 3.0, 4k HDMI, Gig Ethernet, etc., AT ONE TIME, who CARES if you can't use that ONE Port for TB 3?

You're just TRYING to find things to be pissed-off about.

If you're getting an XPS 13 and don't want Windows, take a look at their Developer Edition line; http://www.dell.com/us/busines... Ships with Ubuntu, but you should be able to put any flavor of Linux you'd like on it.

If some Linux distro SOMEWHERE built trackpad support that didn't suck I would be all over this (are all Linux devs on desktops? because the rest of us aren't...)

If you're getting an XPS 13 and don't want Windows, take a look at their Developer Edition line; http://www.dell.com/us/busines... Ships with Ubuntu, but you should be able to put any flavor of Linux you'd like on it.

Dell actually officially supports linux on the XPS 13 and Precision 15.

Where on this page do they support linux? It's Windows 10 only, even in bloody Finland!

If you're looking for a small bump in the mean time you can get a i7-3940XM. It shares the rPGA988B socket with the 3630QM. They're ~$300 on eBay.

In Benchmarks it's ~20% faster than what you have currently.

• PassMark 3630QM: 7599/Single Thread: 1686
• PassMark 3940XM: 9372/Single Thread: 2025

It's still faster than the 6820HQ (8765/1891) or E3-1505M (8699/1887) CPUs that Dell ship in their newest 7000 Precision lines.

Why give vague statements like "12 clicks from the bottom, or 75" when they could easily measure the screen brightness for easy comparison to other laptops? Oh, wait, never mind, answered my own question.

Because brightness specs could not be easily duplicated by most people, and wouldn't be that good for cross-comparison purposes anyway, because there isn't a correlation from one brand to another as far as energy-usage and the absolute brightness of the screen.

And call it "vague" all you want; but Apple's spec. Is FAR better than MS' "auto brightness disabled" with NO other conditions regarding the actual brightness setting (which tells me they simply set the brightness to MINIMUM).

And please show me a laptop that provides the information on battery life the way you are expecting Apple to do, ya know, for easy comparison.

For example, this Dell XPS 15, which I swear I picked simply because it seemed to be roughly equivalent to the 15" MacBook Pro, does even LIST battery life, and when you click the "more info" link on the "battery" section, you're treated to a nice, fat 404 Error. That's great for comparison. Now let's try HP:

The Spectre 15" (again picked simply because it looks roughly equivalent, CPU, storage and RAM-wise to the 15" MacBook Pro, (and because I couldn't make heads or tails of Lenovo's 50-thousand different models)). Under "Battery Life", it simply states "Up to 13 hours for FHD display; Up to 9 hours and 30 minutes for UHD display". That's it. No test-conditions, no footnotes, no asterisks, no NOTHING.

So, there are two non cherry-picked examples for you.

I don't know about you; but by comparison, I'd say Apple damn-near publishes a whitepaper on their battery test conditions, so, I'd suggest you simply STFU.

• 330W
• 240W
• 180W
• 130W
• 90W
• 65W
• 45W
• 30W

While one could use a higher wattage charger for a lower wattage one, it's not guaranteed that the amperage will be compatible. But that's Dell conforming to standards, right?

Do you mean vendor/manufacturer-supported? Try Dell. If you have an ABN, you can get access to their business-grade range.

http://www.dell.com/learn/au/e...

Otherwise, hit the {distro-of-choice} forums, and find out which laptops will run it. Then hit ebay or gumtree, or your local computer club. Try for something less than 12 months old. My current laptop is a satellite pro core2duo running win 7 and 4-5 linux VMs (not all at once!). I've got an SSD ready to put in it, as soon as the HDD shows any sign of failure. If I have to replace it completely, it'll probably be another sat pro. I can still get Toshibas with Win 7, and now they're being offered with 3 year warranties.

If audio/video playback is continuously done using VLC Media Player with volume higher than 100% over a period of time, even if the volume is kept at a lower level later, sound would be distorted. This distortion is permanent.

If you are using VLC or any other amplification software, ensure that the:
Update the device drivers from Dell Drivers & downloads website. Installing Microsoft Windows from Ubuntu will use only the native device drivers.

Unpossible indeed, Alex.

That looks real nice! Good discrete graphics, cooling, right ports (USB3, HDMI, etc), keyboard layout, expandable...

But what's the Linux support like?

True, but they don't have a USB Type A slot either - just a Type C, and there ain't USB sticks w/ Type C plugs yet! So one would have to get a hub that's connected to one of their 2 Type C slots

You know, when looking on Google for a device to fix those woes, the first hit actually landed me on a Dell page. Because obviously Dell too sells computers where you fucking need one of those. So fucking don't pretend this is an Apple exclusive "problem". Because it's neither a problem nor exclusive to Apple.

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/a8957618?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A8957618

Show me an i7 Kaby Lake CPU for a laptop that I can buy right now?

Ok how about the Dell XPS 13? Scroll to the last few models and they have 7th Gen i7 Kaby Lake CPUs. If Dell can do it Apple has no excuse.

You can get a Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition with a 3200x1800 display (276 dpi), Intel HD graphics, and i7-7500U with 16 GB of DDR3 @ 1866MHz and a 512 GB PCIE SSD for $1800 and up. It ships with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and most of the devices should be supported under *BSD as well.

It depends on the laptops and how well the manufacturer supports Linux....

I second this so much.

Nobody would buy a Lenovo PC and then complain that OSX doesn't work on it. If you know that Lenovo doesn't give full Linux support why would you buy one of their laptops in the first place? Even if you are forced to use Windows today, eventually you know that either increasing system requirements will make the machine obsolete or the next Microsoft spyware add on will be one step too far.

There are plenty of manufacturers doing decent hardware guarantees, ranging from Purism who will ensure all drivers are free through System76 a wide range of solid, reasonably cheap laptops and a good hardware support reputation through to Dell who will do modern hardware with full onsite corporate support (I've had pretty good experiences here, as long as you make that the local technician uses the Linux certified firmware/hardware combinations) and supply from other countries than the USA.

A few years ago it might have been reasonable to complain that your hardware didn't support Linux properly. Not now.

It depends on the laptops and how well the manufacturer supports Linux....

I second this so much.

Nobody would buy a Lenovo PC and then complain that OSX doesn't work on it. If you know that Lenovo doesn't give full Linux support why would you buy one of their laptops in the first place? Even if you are forced to use Windows today, eventually you know that either increasing system requirements will make the machine obsolete or the next Microsoft spyware add on will be one step too far.

There are plenty of manufacturers doing decent hardware guarantees, ranging from Purism who will ensure all drivers are free through System76 a wide range of solid, reasonably cheap laptops and a good hardware support reputation through to Dell who will do modern hardware with full onsite corporate support (I've had pretty good experiences here, as long as you make that the local technician uses the Linux certified firmware/hardware combinations) and supply from other countries than the USA.

A few years ago it might have been reasonable to complain that your hardware didn't support Linux properly. Not now.

> I would think the Dell XPS line is probably the nearest competitor to these laptops

Ok...

> while the 15 inch comes with 8GB or 16GB.

Here's one with 32 gigs of RAM:

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop...

I didn't really believe you. This is good- you are wrong. But I have an idea as to *WHY* you are wrong.

I went to Dell's website. I selected 15-16 inch laptops (you mentioned that the bigger machines are huge and ugly- since the MBP is 13 and 15 inch, you must mean larger than 15 inch is huge and ugly). I then selected the core i7 6th gen (skylake), and filtered by RAM ("12gb and up"). The results included a Dell XPS 15 for about 2600 bucks. This had: 1 TB Solid State, 32 Gigs of RAM.

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop...

Here's my guess: you (probably, maybe) erroneously were looking at SEVENTH gen Intel processors (kabylake). The MBP, and the one I linked, are SIXTH gen (skylake). Intel hasn't shipped their top of the line kaby lake laptop processors yet: if you filter by that, you only find the machines that have been refreshed to use the actually-released chips yet, which are by definition not top of the line in any way.

Citation? There's about 57,000 "Dell Precision" laptops. Got a particular one in mind? For example, I don't see ANY Dell Precision Laptop that offers more than 32 GB of RAM, and even that one (7510) doesn't have USB-C, even as an option.

Yeah, the 7510

http://configure.us.dell.com/d...

operating systems: Windows 7 pro / windows 7 pro / or Ubuntu 14 LTS
ram : 8GB to 64GB RAM -- both ECC (for Xeons) and Non-ECC for i5/i7

USBC / Thunderbolt 3 are the same thing from everything I've read (am I wrong?). It's a 28$ option. Again, on that page... between the processors and the OS choices. Dell calls it a USBC port elsewhere too.

And in the end, it's still a POS plastic laptop with a POS Operating System.

Its really not though; its really well built. And it comes with Ubuntu LTS if you want it so its not even 'windows only'. Linux support from the OEM. You just burn your credibility by claiming its a POS.

And I say all this as a macbook pro owner. I've got 2 of them. 2011 and 2015. The high end dell business stuff is well made.

" Someone will invent gigabit wireless."

Dell has been shipping "wigig" docks since at least 2013
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wigi...

I used one last week with a new dell laptop. They have a range of only a few feet, but they do work and can share screens and network and all that over it. In fact the one i was using is second generation. Its an intel technology.

http://www.dell.com/support/ar...

which is pretty great except, well, Windows

There's always the XPS 13 developer edition

Sure you can.

http://accessories.dell.com/sn...
http://accessories.dell.com/sn...
http://accessories.dell.com/sn...

See, the key thing you are missing is that flagship =/= all phones. There will always be ways to get what you want. You are comparing all phones that a manufacturer makes to 2 or 3 of their phones. Samsung makes much more than the S7 and Note 7.

http://www.samsung.com/us/mobi...

Why would they suddenly reduce their selection to kill off a port that is very popular? You seem to be equating the Apple way with every other company, when it is rather obtuse to do so. No, Apple doesn't lead the industry, they are routinely 1-2 years behind the rest of the industry. Removing the analog port is a money grab and nothing else. You can keep denying it all you like, but it doesn't change the facts around it.

Did you even bother to read TFA? This is all Wild Ass Speculation (tm), not actual fact, or even an announcement. You are taking rumor as fact, nothing says that Samsung will sell 0 phones in 5 years with a headphone port, and in fact that would be absurd to expect to happen.

Sure you can.

http://accessories.dell.com/sn...
http://accessories.dell.com/sn...
http://accessories.dell.com/sn...

See, the key thing you are missing is that flagship =/= all phones. There will always be ways to get what you want. You are comparing all phones that a manufacturer makes to 2 or 3 of their phones. Samsung makes much more than the S7 and Note 7.

http://www.samsung.com/us/mobi...

Why would they suddenly reduce their selection to kill off a port that is very popular? You seem to be equating the Apple way with every other company, when it is rather obtuse to do so. No, Apple doesn't lead the industry, they are routinely 1-2 years behind the rest of the industry. Removing the analog port is a money grab and nothing else. You can keep denying it all you like, but it doesn't change the facts around it.

Did you even bother to read TFA? This is all Wild Ass Speculation (tm), not actual fact, or even an announcement. You are taking rumor as fact, nothing says that Samsung will sell 0 phones in 5 years with a headphone port, and in fact that would be absurd to expect to happen.

Sure you can.

http://accessories.dell.com/sn...
http://accessories.dell.com/sn...
http://accessories.dell.com/sn...

See, the key thing you are missing is that flagship =/= all phones. There will always be ways to get what you want. You are comparing all phones that a manufacturer makes to 2 or 3 of their phones. Samsung makes much more than the S7 and Note 7.

http://www.samsung.com/us/mobi...

Why would they suddenly reduce their selection to kill off a port that is very popular? You seem to be equating the Apple way with every other company, when it is rather obtuse to do so. No, Apple doesn't lead the industry, they are routinely 1-2 years behind the rest of the industry. Removing the analog port is a money grab and nothing else. You can keep denying it all you like, but it doesn't change the facts around it.

Did you even bother to read TFA? This is all Wild Ass Speculation (tm), not actual fact, or even an announcement. You are taking rumor as fact, nothing says that Samsung will sell 0 phones in 5 years with a headphone port, and in fact that would be absurd to expect to happen.

They aren't selling to Linux users, if you don't like it, take your business elsewhere.

System76 sells Linux laptops
And so does Dell

Just sayin'

There is no Windows Signature Edition OS. It's a device standard that OEM's agree to not pre-install bloatware and ensure that the hardware will not be throttled down.
Microsoft only demands that the hardware runs at its full potential, so that's why bits of the BIOS were locked. Intel/Lenovo developed a new SATA controller firmware that hasn't been included in any install media yet. This is akin to the Skylake support issues that Microsoft is also having.
Dell even has a page dedicated to ensuring people can re-install 7 on their devices that Microsoft doesn't include drivers for in their install media. http://www.dell.com/support/ar... [dell.com]
This is the exact similar issue that Lenovo is having right now, but their 3rd party support reps (that the original guy from reddit spoke to) do not have the full documentation in their scripts to handle this.

Bullshit. I don't believe a word of it.

When it comes to MS and the PC makers/sellers they've embraced, the long history of their criminal behavior makes the default position that shenanigans are going on unless they can prove beyond a shadow of doubt otherwise.

It's a position MS has worked hard for decades to achieve and they've succeeded.

Strat

There is no Windows Signature Edition OS. It's a device standard that OEM's agree to not pre-install bloatware and ensure that the hardware will not be throttled down.
Microsoft only demands that the hardware runs at its full potential, so that's why bits of the BIOS were locked. Intel/Lenovo developed a new SATA controller firmware that hasn't been included in any install media yet. This is akin to the Skylake support issues that Microsoft is also having.
Dell even has a page dedicated to ensuring people can re-install 7 on their devices that Microsoft doesn't include drivers for in their install media. http://www.dell.com/support/ar...
This is the exact similar issue that Lenovo is having right now, but their 3rd party support reps (that the original guy from reddit spoke to) do not have the full documentation in their scripts to handle this.

MBP = $1100
Dell Inspiron = $800

I have a Lenovo T430 that's worked very well for almost 4 years now. I'm in no rush to replace it, but I am extremely tempted to upgrade to this XPS 13 from Dell. The high definition screen and small form factor are a winning combination for me as I typically end up having to work on long-haul flights. Any thoughts on it?

Here

And some generic laptops here

Seriously. Did you even try?

Virtually all modern firewall/IDP systems have SSL decryption. Given that virtually all websites use SSL nowadays, it makes no sense at all to even have an IDP if it can't handle SSL traffic.

Until you run into an app/site that breaks, then you have to disable it (at least for that site/app). Like this: "Dropbox not working when Client DPI-SSL is enabled" (link)

The "problem" is that those SSL/TLS packet inspection approaches are the functional equivalent of a man-in-the-middle attack. Given how reliant we are becoming on SSL/TLS, it is no wonder that forward thinking sites and apps are taking measures to protect against that. Of course, those same measures defeat the good guys being able to protect against more sophisticated threats.

A) the fact there was no incumbent in the market using underhanded tactics trying to stop it. As an OEM, losing your cosy relationship with Microsoft in exchange for something new and relatively unproven is a *big* deal. So, no big OEMs would ever take that risk.

Despite your unsubstantiated rantings big OEMs did and do "take that risk". Dell in fact offers Ubuntu on their XPS13, their Inspiron line and their Precision line of computers. Samsung sell the Chromebooks of Microsft's biggest competitor, Google, along with Windows laptops. HP advertise it on their laptops, desktops and workstations.

B) Because of A, there never was and probably never will be any significant amount of computers available for sale with Linux pre-loaded, which is the key.

As listed above there are plenty. They even had them on the shelves at Best Buy but nobody wanted them. Instead of desperately trying to make excuses and blame Microsoft maybe you should consider capitalizing on the extremely low barrier to entry of Linux (preloaded by major OEMs, freely downloadable online, available to try or to install from USB sticks).

D) The general public expects a computer to run Windows, to the point where I've repeatedly been told that a computer "can't run unless it has Windows on it".

Rubbish, one of the biggest selling lines of personal computers in the world is the Mac.

A) the fact there was no incumbent in the market using underhanded tactics trying to stop it. As an OEM, losing your cosy relationship with Microsoft in exchange for something new and relatively unproven is a *big* deal. So, no big OEMs would ever take that risk.

Despite your unsubstantiated rantings big OEMs did and do "take that risk". Dell in fact offers Ubuntu on their XPS13, their Inspiron line and their Precision line of computers. Samsung sell the Chromebooks of Microsft's biggest competitor, Google, along with Windows laptops. HP advertise it on their laptops, desktops and workstations.

B) Because of A, there never was and probably never will be any significant amount of computers available for sale with Linux pre-loaded, which is the key.

As listed above there are plenty. They even had them on the shelves at Best Buy but nobody wanted them. Instead of desperately trying to make excuses and blame Microsoft maybe you should consider capitalizing on the extremely low barrier to entry of Linux (preloaded by major OEMs, freely downloadable online, available to try or to install from USB sticks).

D) The general public expects a computer to run Windows, to the point where I've repeatedly been told that a computer "can't run unless it has Windows on it".

Rubbish, one of the biggest selling lines of personal computers in the world is the Mac.

Then the average, non-enterprise user should run Linux instead. These days Dell even sells their mainstream laptop line with Ubuntu as an option, even their workstation line has it.

If the average, non-enterprise user doesn't want Windows then they don't need to have it, there are plenty of viable and accessible options available. Sure there are Macs but let's face it, with a free (of charge) operating system like the various Linux distros that you can get on LiveCDs and USBs to even try without installing it this has been the case for many years now. If your personal computing needs are even more simple then an Android tablet or iPad with a keyboard will probably suffice.

Then the average, non-enterprise user should run Linux instead. These days Dell even sells their mainstream laptop line with Ubuntu as an option, even their workstation line has it.

If the average, non-enterprise user doesn't want Windows then they don't need to have it, there are plenty of viable and accessible options available. Sure there are Macs but let's face it, with a free (of charge) operating system like the various Linux distros that you can get on LiveCDs and USBs to even try without installing it this has been the case for many years now. If your personal computing needs are even more simple then an Android tablet or iPad with a keyboard will probably suffice.

The issue with "secure boot" is control, and it has always been.

The manufacturer defines the level of control and in pretty much every instance the user is free to completely turn the feature off if they wish (is there any PC hardware that doesn't have this?). In fact for a time Microsoft even mandated that no PC could declare itself Windows Certified without the ability to turn it off.

It's a devious scheme to appropriate the pc and turn it into a closed platform like a console.

By who? The manufacturers are the ones that dictate whether it can be turned off or not, take Dell for instance - they sell their XPS, Inspiron and Precision lines with Ubuntu as an option for the operating system and these systems can also run Windows, you think Dell want to alienate their customers by restricting them to only running approved operating systems? Those customers would just move to other manufacturers. In fact in the ARM realm we have seen some OEMs move away from locking down bootloaders because that is what their customers want.

The issue with "secure boot" is control, and it has always been.

The manufacturer defines the level of control and in pretty much every instance the user is free to completely turn the feature off if they wish (is there any PC hardware that doesn't have this?). In fact for a time Microsoft even mandated that no PC could declare itself Windows Certified without the ability to turn it off.

It's a devious scheme to appropriate the pc and turn it into a closed platform like a console.

By who? The manufacturers are the ones that dictate whether it can be turned off or not, take Dell for instance - they sell their XPS, Inspiron and Precision lines with Ubuntu as an option for the operating system and these systems can also run Windows, you think Dell want to alienate their customers by restricting them to only running approved operating systems? Those customers would just move to other manufacturers. In fact in the ARM realm we have seen some OEMs move away from locking down bootloaders because that is what their customers want.

The issue with "secure boot" is control, and it has always been.

The manufacturer defines the level of control and in pretty much every instance the user is free to completely turn the feature off if they wish (is there any PC hardware that doesn't have this?). In fact for a time Microsoft even mandated that no PC could declare itself Windows Certified without the ability to turn it off.

It's a devious scheme to appropriate the pc and turn it into a closed platform like a console.

By who? The manufacturers are the ones that dictate whether it can be turned off or not, take Dell for instance - they sell their XPS, Inspiron and Precision lines with Ubuntu as an option for the operating system and these systems can also run Windows, you think Dell want to alienate their customers by restricting them to only running approved operating systems? Those customers would just move to other manufacturers. In fact in the ARM realm we have seen some OEMs move away from locking down bootloaders because that is what their customers want.

I'm just now in the process of replacing PCs in our school. We're buying Dell Micro PC's that you can mount immediately behind your monitor. When we throw in a SSD and fast-booting the BIOS, boot time for Windows 7 is less than 10 seconds.

About 3 seconds slower than Puppy Linux [which would be a fantastic choice for a school's computer].

Now that PCs are smaller (...).

Now, my monitors are not going to get smaller anytime soon. 32" and growing.

I'm just now in the process of replacing PCs in our school. We're buying Dell Micro PC's that you can mount immediately behind your monitor. When we throw in a SSD and fast-booting the BIOS, boot time for Windows 7 is less than 10 seconds.

Now that PCs are smaller and faster, and electronic storage is becoming standard, it doesn't surprise me that they're becoming more appealing again.

those $600 Dells are usually $800.

I don't know, the inspirion "Gamer Edition" is $650

Fortunately much of Linux userland is under GPL so if Microsoft does make any change to a Linux userland tool, it would have to contribute it.

Well nothing that they distribute in Windows can be GPL anyway.

Instead of working with Microsoft. I think Canonical should be working with Dell, Lenovo, HP etc to get Linux to support more PC hardware

They already are, the Dell Inspiron can be configured with Ubuntu, their XPS 13 edition comes with it installed as do a various number of their Precision workstations listed here. The problem is certainly not availability and compatibility, the problem is that people don't want it.

Fortunately much of Linux userland is under GPL so if Microsoft does make any change to a Linux userland tool, it would have to contribute it.

Well nothing that they distribute in Windows can be GPL anyway.

Instead of working with Microsoft. I think Canonical should be working with Dell, Lenovo, HP etc to get Linux to support more PC hardware

They already are, the Dell Inspiron can be configured with Ubuntu, their XPS 13 edition comes with it installed as do a various number of their Precision workstations listed here. The problem is certainly not availability and compatibility, the problem is that people don't want it.

Fortunately much of Linux userland is under GPL so if Microsoft does make any change to a Linux userland tool, it would have to contribute it.

Well nothing that they distribute in Windows can be GPL anyway.

Instead of working with Microsoft. I think Canonical should be working with Dell, Lenovo, HP etc to get Linux to support more PC hardware

They already are, the Dell Inspiron can be configured with Ubuntu, their XPS 13 edition comes with it installed as do a various number of their Precision workstations listed here. The problem is certainly not availability and compatibility, the problem is that people don't want it.

Because nobody can buy a basic gaming box for about $800.

Nope. Just never happens.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alien...

Never!

Hell, in most cases a pre-existing PC should be perfectly acceptable. Just make sure your PSU is 400W or more and has the necessary connectors.
Then drop $200 on a video card and you're gaming!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...

It isn't hard. It's just the bar is set higher than "vegetable-level idiocy".

Two I encountered last week after speaking with tech support folks:

http://en.community.dell.com/

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/

Dell's phone eventually (2nd try) got me someone who understood the problem and escalated it. HP's guy explained to me that the problem I was having with the USB keyboard not functioning in the BIOS setup was due to my not having installed the Windows USB 3.0 drivers :-)

The companies that provide excellent technical support on the first contact have dwindled alarmingly. Supermicro, Mellanox, and Intel have provided consistently excellent support when I've contacted them. Others have by and large been hit or miss.

"The smallest 13-inch on the planet with the world’s first infinityEdge display

Dell US:"This product is currently unavailable. Please find our recommendation for a comparable system below."

Dell UK: "Starting at £858 Ex. VAT & Shipping"

"The smallest 13-inch on the planet with the world’s first infinityEdge display

Dell US:"This product is currently unavailable. Please find our recommendation for a comparable system below."

Dell UK: "Starting at £858 Ex. VAT & Shipping"

The problem is that Microsoft didn't _want_ that, hence "Secure Boot"

That is complete bullshit, I know the microsoft hate train is popular here but come on, even the fucking Surface, their own product that they build has SecureBoot on it doesn't prevent you from turning it off and installing Linux, ive got Ubuntu running on one right now!

Microsoft's control of the signature process

They dont control the signature process, any manufacturer of any UEFI hardware can put any signature they want into the hardware they build. Or they can include no secureboot at all or they can have controls (like pretty much every single one does) to turn secureboot off or have a mechanism to enrol new secureboot keys.

...the slow "evaporation" of the requirement for Microsoft certified machines to even _offer_ an option to disable "Secure Boot."

That is entirely at the discretion of the hardware manufacturer, why should Microsoft have to force them do to it? The biggest problem with secureboot is that it is becoming another excuse for poor linux marketshare, just blame it on secureboot. The reality is that commercial ecosystems for desktop/laptop based on Linux that include hardware vendors are already happening such as Chromebooks and Steam Machines and there is of course Dell's ongoing effort to support pre-installed Linux on the Inspiron line as well as the XPS and Precision workstation models.

So instead of spreading FUD and trying to undermine the effort to make Linux more viable and palatable to end users how about contributing to that development instead? Even if you can't write code or contribute money to the effort there is plenty of work that needs doing in documentation.